Archive

Ants do not always take the shortest route when they are in a hurry. Their navigational system occasionally makes them take detours to speed up their journey.

The effects of climate change are felt especially in the Alps. How capable are insects, which are important pollinators, of adjusting to this development? A new junior research group is looking into this question.

Cereal is much more drought-tolerant than other plants. Researchers from Würzburg have now found out why that is so. Their insight could help breed crops that are more resistant to drought.

Desert ants use the Earth's magnetic field for orientation, a new study has found which was conducted by scientists of the University of Würzburg. This provides ants the cue to find their way back to the nest.

Web spiders produce silk threads that are, based on their mass, stronger than steel and at the same time much more elastic. These remarkable properties raise the interest of engineers and basic researchers.

Alcohol used as a "weed killer" optimizes the harvest of ambrosia beetles.

Scientists from the University of Würzburg have investigated the impact of a new pesticide on the honeybee. In high doses, it has a negative impact on the insects' taste and cognition ability.

An increasing proportion of the world's protected forests are subject to extensive logging activities. The practice is called "salvage logging" and allegedly aims to protect e.g. areas of windthrow against bark beetle infestation. However, a Würzburg study has found that this instrument is used far too often.

Biologist Svenja Meierjohann has been awarded this year's Zonta Prize for her outstanding work in the field of cancer research.

The hormone auxin is a key regulator of plant growth and development. But how it sets these processes in motion has been unclear. Scientists from the University of Würzburg have now uncovered central details.

Crop variety in agriculture has a positive impact on the natural enemies of aphids. Farmers can use this insight to keep aphids at bay and cut down on pesticides.

Bioinformatics specialists from the University of Würzburg have studied a specific class of hormones which is relevant for plants, bacteria and indirectly for humans, too. Their results challenge previous scientific assumptions.

Ants dress the wounds their mates have suffered in battle. Such behaviour is believed to be unique among animals.

They reproduce through gynogenesis. Their offspring are clones of the mother. According to established theories, the Amazon molly should have become extinct a long time ago. A new study shows how the fish avoids this fate.

Astonishing evolution: Because digger wasps switched prey, the chemical protective layer of their skin changed, too.